Success not measured by SAT, ACT score

University of California President Richard Atkinson recently proposed to eliminate the requirement of taking the SAT for college entrance.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, he said the SAT is “distorting educational priorities” by forcing students to spend too much time preparing for the test.

Atkinson brings up a legitimate and accurate point. Students have a lot to deal with during the latter part of their high school years. They balance classes, extracurricular activities, scholarship and college applications and perhaps a part-time job. The last thing a student has time to focus on is a standardized test.

Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT do not measure a student’s true academic ability. A great number of students exhibit low scores on the SAT but excel in other areas. While a student might not be an expert in geometry or grammar, his or her leadership abilities or time management skills might be an asset to a successful college career.

The pressure placed on a student to perform well on a standardized test is overwhelming. Students feel they are expected to do well on the test in order to be accepted into the college of their choice. As a result, they might focus too heavily on the SAT and begin neglecting other responsibilities such as their present schoolwork or extracurricular involvement. This hurts their performance as a student and their chance of getting into their preferred university.

Also, many students do not perform well on standardized tests purely because it is a “standardized test.” Whether it is the testing atmosphere or tension created, the bottom line is that some students just do not perform well.

The SAT test does not rank students on social interaction, finances or other things that contribute to a student’s responsibilities during college. Standardized tests only measure a student’s academic ability, and it takes more than math and English knowledge to be successful in college.

Most colleges take community and school involvement and time management into account while considering a student’s acceptance.

olleges look for an individual who can balance extracurricular and social activities with school. Not everything is about academic performance, and by relying too heavily on SAT scores in considering a student’s admittance, a university might hurt its chances of inheriting a well-rounded individual that would benefit its campus.

The ACT is a similar SAT but tests students on their science and history knowledge rather than math and English. Regardless of the nature of the exam, the objective is synonymous and unnecessary.

While being academically competent is important in attaining a college degree, there are many other elements that should be considered for a college career. A student’s academic performance can simply be exhibited by their GPA. Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT should quickly be eliminated.

Kristin Delorantis is a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Mansfield.
She can be reached at (k.a.delorantis@student.tcu.edu).

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